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TITAN Combo rack vs Rogue Monster west side bench

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Oct 28, 2020 4:00:00 PM

TITAN Combo rack vs Rogue Monster west side bench

This is a comparison between the TITAN combo rack and Rogue Monster west side bench including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which TITAN bench to get? Follow the links for details.

Overview and review of the Rogue Monster West Side Bench

 

 

 

Price: 1.195

This review was originally posted in the longer article "Which strength equipment to buy from rogue" in which you can read about 25 products of Rogue which cost more than 1.000$. The Rogue Monster West Side bench will make every bencher happy, even the biggest ones. See the details in this article.

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Overview of the Rogue West side bench

The Rogue Monster Westside bench has been built with the ideas of Louie Simmons in mind. It took the first Westside bench design to the Monster series. This is the ultimate bench press machine. If you have a bunch of football players running around who break normal benches and equipment, because they are so savage, this is the piece of equipment to go for. 
 
The Rogue West Side Monster bench comes in black. It weighs 342LB with a footprint of 53''x34''. It is 54.75'' high and provides everything you need to train heavy bench pressing including extra large band holders at the bottom.  The plate at the back also enables a spotter to get into the right position to spot a very heavy bench press. If you want to break world records or do a 300 pound with bands for reps competition, this is the bench you need.
 

How many clients should the Monster West side Bench bring you?

If you think that the Rogue Monster West side will bring you 4 new clients who pay you 50$ on a 1-year retainer it is worth the investment. This will yield 2.400$ net new revenue against an investment of 1.195$. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.
 

Pros of the Rogue west side bench

This will never break and provide support to even the biggest athletes you can dream up. Never have your Rhinos complaining or injured again because their equipment does not support their massive bodies.
 

Cons of the Rogue west side bench

This is overbuilt. I mean seriously overbuilt. Don't get this for your wife or kids, They will get frightened. 
 

Alternatives to the Rogue west side bench

 

These are the Alternatives to the Rogue Monster West Side bench you can get on the same budget:

  • 1x Rogue west side bench 2.0 @725$
This is the little sister of the Monster version of the bench. It still has the spotter platform so that someone can help on a 300 pound and more bench press which has been missed.  This is still massive and will cover the needs of most people unless you are Thor who is being spotted by Brian Shaw.
 

Conclusion

The rogue west side bench is a tool fir the serious bench presser who moves a lot of weight. If you intend to have several people bench pressing more than 600 pounds in your gym, this is the one to get. For all others it is still a hell of a setup.

 

 

Overview and review of the TITAN Combo rack

This is an overview of the TITAN Combo rack including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which TITAN bench to get? Follow the links for details.

  

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Overview of the TITAN combo rack

Price: $999
 
The TITAN combo rack combines a solid bench press and squat setup in one place. If you want a competition set up in your own home for a low price the TITAN combo rack is a very good option. TITAN copied the roller J-hooks from Ghost strong and safety pins from Rogue fitness to put together the best ideas for combo racks while not fully executing on them. Still for half or one-fifth of the price of the competition the TITAN combo rack is not to be scoffed at. The full specifications of the combo rack are:
 
  • Adjustable Squat Height: 49.5 - 61-in.
  • Adjustable Bench Press Height: 33.5- 45.5-in.
  • Bench Seat Height: 17.5-in.- Bench Length: 4 ft
  • Spotter Footplate Height: 8.75-in.
  • Spotter Arm Length: 17-in.- Footprint Width: 81-in.
  • Footprint Depth: 59-in.
  • Weight Capacity: 1,000 lb.
  • Product Weight: 225 lb.
 
This is a solid combo rack to exercise at home or to have in a commercial gym with some occasional powerlifting meets to separate from the masses. It is not necessarily the best for professional powerlifting meets or as a multipurpose station in a home or commercial gym. 
 

Pros of the TITAN Combo rack

 
The pros the combo rack are:
 
  • Low price
  • Roller cups
  • Easy bench setup 
 
For the low price, you are getting a solid simulation of a real powerlifting meet for your home or in a commercial gym that wants to mix up things a little. Compared to other models it is also great that the roller cups pioneered by ghost fitness have been implemented into the design. These make sure that the bar will always be centered dead in the middle when you start your lift without having to inch it around. When you are moving more than 400 pounds for doubles and singles on a regular basis, this does make a big difference to your bench and squat setup. The bench itself is also easy to roll in and out which can be cumbersome with other designs, where you need two people to drop the bench setup in and lift it out of the frame. 
 

Cons of the TITAN Combo rack

 
Cons of the TITAN combo rack:
 
  • Finish
  • Space requirements
  • Not for beginners
  • Not very versatile
 
As with all TITAN products you have to cut corners to offer a similar product at half or even one-fifth of the price. Where other vendors go down the route of purposely overbuilding their products for extra safety and comfort, TITAN takes the approach of just enough. This means that the lifetime of their products is usually shorter and they take less abuse, while still being functional. In the TITAN combo rack, this comes to show in the roller j cup design and the height adjustments. While Rogue and Ghost are testing to make the adjustments as smooth as possible you will need more elbow grease or a bit of sandpaper with the shipped TITAN combo rack. If you hold the rollers used in the TITAN setup against the ones from Ghost fitness you will also notice a vast difference in detail and beefiness. Especially in these small items that are designed for convenience, this makes a difference of day and night. So really think about what kind of user you are before buying a TITAN or other product in the market.
 
While you will think at first that this is a good 2 in 1 option to save space you might be wrong. What is elusive about higher prices squat stands is that they create more stability by placing a frame on the ground. The TITAN combo rack is no different. While it is easier to move around this combo rack than a full rack, it still takes up the same footprint. This is an easy mistake to make, especially if you do not spend a lot of time planning your purchase. For home gym owners you also have to be aware that you can not use the combo rack for storage of plates and other plates to the same extent as a full rack. So think twice when you buy for budget r space reasons, as this is not what the TITAN combo rack has really been designed for. 
 
The TITAN combo rack is also not really suitable for beginners. The height adjustments are technical and assume a team of people at a powerlifting meet to make adjustments. What is a great set up in a competition where four to five people can quickly weasel around the rack and make the necessary adjustments can turn into a right nightmare when you have to do it by yourself at home. Traditional J-Cups in a normal rack are a lot easier to adjust. 
 
The last disadvantage is that a combo rack is not very versatile if you want a fully functioning gym. The spotter arms are a little short and not great for pin squat, rack pulls and other partial movements on the big three. You will also have a hard time setting this rack up for pull-ups, band-aided work, or using it as a yoke or sled. Combined with the fact that it is also not foldable it is not what you first would think it is. Especially if you buy for space and money-saving purposes only. 
 

Alternatives to the TITAN combo rack

 
Alternatives to the TITAN combo rack are:
 
 
A folding rack is a good alternative if your main reason for considering the combo rack is to save space and money. These racks are available at the same or even a slightly lower price point and are a lot more versatile. They can be folded up and also be used for other exercises except for the big three lifts. If you want to build a garage gym that still needs to compromise space with cars, bicycles, and tools, this is a lot better than a combo rack.
 
A full-size rack would be the better option for the uncompromising garage or basement gym or commercial gym. It is safer to exercise in this and you can also store a lot of your equipment, especially plates and bands, directly on the rack. A full-size rack will also leave you with more options for upgrades in the future for attachments like pull up bars and other toys to mix up a training a little. Pin squats and rack pulls are also easier performed in a full-size rack. 
 
Simple squat stands can be a good option if you already have some bench press setup and want to add the possibility to squat. If you get some unconnected squat stands you can create a very cheap and space-efficient squat setup. The only downside to this is that you really need to know what you are doing as the injury risk goes through the roof if you are not careful with the pins and where you place the uprights. These uprights are usually very light and not attached to the ground. Inexperience, a low budget, and ego lifting are a great recipe to have a serious home accident. Therefore, I only recommend this setup to people who know how to squat, how to drop a heavy weight safely, and take the trouble of putting some markers on the floor for their ideal setup. Duct tape will do but mark how far these uprights will go apart.
 
The TITAN bench press rack is a good alternative for your home gym if you ready have a rack and the space to add another bench station to your line up. This is also a good alternative for a professional gym instead of the traditional bench pressing stations, as the bench press rack leaves more options to work with bands and partial range of motion.
 

Conclusion for the TITAN Combo rack 

 
The TITAN combo rack addresses a very specific niche of powerlifters with a small budget who want to simulate competition at home. If you fit that nice, I think you will be happy with a TITAN combo rack. You will not shell out $2000 to $5000 dollars for getting that little edge in competition because you know your setup. Especially if your training partner lives close or even in the same house with you, this is a good purchase. You will also need to transport the combo rack and adjust it as much, so the minor quality issues will not weigh in as much as for someone who holds powerlifting meets on a regular basis. If you are a small and light athlete, this does plenty for you. Bigger athletes might want to opt for the Rogue combo rack as it has been built sturdier. he same goes for commercial gyms that have regular usage of a combo rack and can foresee that the TITAN might not hold up to the abuse of 10-20 members that use it regularly in a week. If you regularly train with beasts of various sizes and hold meets the Ghost strong combo rack HD is the gold standard. It is overbuilt in every way and smooth, but also comes at a ridiculously high price, as the labor is not standardized or offshored. 
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